ML19246B872

Tx Pirg Response to Houston Lighting & Power Second Set of Interrogatories

ML19246B872
Person / Time
Site:	Allens Creek File:Houston Lighting and Power Company icon.png
Issue date:	06/06/1979
From:	Jeffrey Scott TEXAS PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP
To:
References
NUDOCS 7907180836
Download: ML19246B872 (5)

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UUITED STATES OF AMERICA HUCLEAR REGULATORY CCIGIISSICH

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P 2EFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY IJID LICEN3ING EGARD clatter o f X X

HOUSTCN LIGHTING AHD POVIER CO. X X Docket Ho. 50-466

( a.llens Creek, Un:.t 1)

X N pImyJC DOCUMD'T E00'J -

SEX PIRG'S RESPONSE TO H L&P'S SECOND SET O 1

Tex PIRG submits the following answers to the questions .

Building Allens Creek at the S. Texas construction site prevents environmental damages to the farm land, fresh trater, wildlife, and nearby people and only 1/5th as many people would be exposed to the safety dangers from the plant within the 50 mile radius. The URC staff says that

2. Page 17,700 acre-f t ner year 7;ould be saved.

10.7 of S. Texas ES. Also Houstos LLP would not be dumb as to build a lake that was planned for 4 units 11 it cid not know that it had enough water for four (not just 3) units

3. .

Applicant orns 11,152 acres at Allens Creek site of ~;hich the bo ttocland portion (about 9,000 acres) is Prime-1 farmland and the upland portion

4. (about 2,000 acres) is prine-2 farmland. (b) T Page S.9-11 of Allens Creek final Supplement.

s rit knon.

5.

The Harr.s-Galveston County Subsidence District recuires

. resent users o f ground water to convert to surface V ater. . large amount of Erasos River is already being diverted for use in the Houston area

6. by the 3rasos River Authority, i.e. Oyster Creek Canel system.

Rice, sorghun, corn, cotton, hay, and other crops that cr uld be grown on the Allens Creek land would have to 'ce ansport- tr ed longer distances (at high freight rates that enersy increases in cost) will increase as  !

(b) I don't know and it is not important to the local people. In some other state the local utalit y is telling then that the lake flooding their land is an insignificant part of their thecrops.

nationai(c) total I dontbecause the Allens Creek site will go; .

that is grown at the Allens Creek site.t know, but they now etc grou c 7.

I read that large operating nuclear plants contain more radioactivity on Japan. than 1,000 atomic bonbs the size of those dropped 1* " '5 6 4 O

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e S. They are higher than that of the Brasos River where the Applicant did limited samphiing for heavy metals. (b) No.

c. Connon sence acuired by observation , reading , and page S.5-13 of Final ES for Allens Creek.

10 Utalities alvtays try to operate their large base load plants such as nuclear.. plants during their peak use season which in the Houston area isnin the sur.: er.

11 These details can be obtained from Gulf Coast Ylaste Disposal Authority and Browning and Ferris Corporation by applicant easier than from Tex PIRG.

12 Greg Skie

13. (a) Greg Skie. (b)Mr. Davies of Gulf Coast, head of Houston Solid ?!aste, and all Houston L & p management involved in not using solid waste.

1 !+ .  ?!e do not disagree vith any of it. 'Je believe that the capial cost of a nuclear blant is even higher, and that 1 hen fuel fron refuse is added to other ruel instead of being burned alone that the cost per unit of electricity generated will be cheaper than that from nuclear power vthen all if the costs including environmental costs are considered.

15. (a) Hot yet. (b)&. Greg Skie, not complete yet, vie don' t Inlor yet. (c) Vie don' t know details , but such fac', ors should be considered in all generating plants. The amount assumed will be based on past experience and normal "leariing cu.me" assunrtions.

16, (a) Greg Skie concluded that after studyigg the natier.

(b) Hon-combustible materials such as metal are removed. (c) Prior studies. (d)That is a norial agerage for fossil fuel plants v.nd refuse plants. (e)I don' t know.(f) As of 1976, they were listed in our anserr to question 5 of contention 5 of the Applicants First set o f Interrogatories. I have no newer information yet.

17. I don't know his nane, but he seemed to know what he was saying. Also the Houston Post recently indicated that the growth v as even more.(b) e:m erienc e , and the fact that all 'ousiness assumptions cf electrical growth, etc seen to project upon past fact growth in the Houston A"ea. For example a new business airport just opened up in Fort Eend County, and the City of Houston has just started planhing for a ner " Int ercontin enta'J' type airport near the Allens Creek site.(c) I don' t knon, partly question was. Oyeagse. Ldon' t know what the 2, w pn f, m:.A p. [ao- o eon u g g\,) 3pn D v' R. c r 3 .O id 4 gi >j . -1

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public,The TheCity exact location is not yet knovin at least to the general

.".11 probably oun the airport, the airport will b e large like intercontential, traffic will eventually 'oe similia r t o that at intercontiental, the current status is that the Cit y of Houston and pln~nsng for itthe non. Chamber of Connerce both want the airport and are 19.

1,200 Iflle, study by city of Seattle, demand for each of the years would be lowered bythousand , .

10 512Uashin I-Thr and the peak hour demand would be lowered by 1

,200 Ifl e if only one half of the cost of Allens Creek was efficiently spent to cause conservation in the Houston area.

20 Ey talking with people at the City o f Houston, and Gulf Coast .iaste Dispo sal Authority, and readineo .

the nersta.ner. (b) The conpanies rould not be planning to generate their orn electricit y unles: .it was cheaper and nore reliable.

21

!o, but we hope that he will .

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=-u o.,m _a_n_on r ' euu,r-have noodocuments, n_, .~.n

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e re z,,n m but strongly dispute any attecpt or v

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can be renoved fron production in a local area and nct affect th production of crops in that local area. e 21 .

-,,w (a) l:e have no copy of that Mr.

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..a_ have as._copy m_ m_ _a o f his deposition to read. Mr. Dohertynot r Ru , . . . - ,

does

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u pI23 ras not concerned about chlorind discharges that are twice the levels allowed by the board in the 1973 partin'

' en PIRS is as concerned as it ever was, very T-4tial Decision.

about the level of ch fish an: orine discharges. "C are concerned about the bad effects other aquatic life in the cooling lake on the 1._. z u . m., ,-

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for the scne reasons so'~ ""v-s , 4. .' .n.. svonc, said they rere not concerned. (b)It does not, above plus

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25.

Yes, :Iouston Lighting and power or :!20 should fun or needed to keep the plant " clean", andrate. ,

what ne fish can

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It is anasing that plants could have o; crated for years, and yet the claim is stated that ne still do not know these things.

In fact it is known that such concentrations are harmful to fish and the Applicent does not wish to admit this. The Final ES clearly shows the harmful affects on page S.5-16,17,18,19. Since the chlorine harms the ; environment, the ourden is on the applicant to find alternative ways to reduce the impact.

26. The staff of the IIRC could find no such data, there fore the Applicant has not met his burden of proof that requires him to hhow that no harm can happen due to thermal shoch.

27. Many organisms that Texas game fish feed on are affected by chlorine levels below 0.002 ppm, and fish are directly killed by levels as low as 0.00l+ pp according to the information on page S.5.18 o f the Final Supp o f Allens Creek ES.

28. (a) !!ot nor, but can replace about half of its capacity such that a single coal plant could replace it now. Also as the Houston a ea grons it will generate more waste and withir; the next 20 years it could replace the whole plant with nasta alone.

Also if all the waste in the Houston a ea /as sent to _one location then there would be enough to replace the plant by 1987wi.th a ";aste fired plant alone. (b) It is not in error , but considers: only the present trash at what is nor only one site in East Harris County.

20 'lle don' t have any documents now , but everyone in cluding the " Light Company", and the federal government encourage the public to consdrve. For example by ".rning down the air condit-ioner control so that the temperatul s does not drop below 80 ees in the sumer can save huge amounts of electricity at no cost.

Cathing cracks in windons and doors is almost free and a huge

nservation benefit. Even the installation of insullation and colar rater collectors (heaters) is said to have a rapid ";cyback" because of the reduced fuel bills.

30 I don' t know what idr. Doherty stated.He may have meant that burning trash causes some air pollution such as oil and coal.

Cr he may have meant good effects such as reduced radiati.on dangers sucn as those caused by nuclear clants.

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31 The barge when loaded with the reactor vesselhthe river rill not be deep enough to go up the length of the river This is especially true near the mouth of the river.(b) Dredging will change character of river such that it will cause destruction of much of the life in the river.Conctruction of the unloading dock will damage both the land and rater near the site , Transp-ortation of vessel along the roade to the Allens Creek site will destroy the roads and bridges. (c) Jim Scott (d) none yet.

32 (a) Meet that criteria.Many other plants approved by the same HRC did not meet that criteria under operating conditions.

(b) I don't have any of those documents. Some of the react ors with similiar problems are: Dresden 1, Point Oyster Creek 1, Hine miJe 1, Lacrosse, Ilk River,Eumbolt Bay 3,Dresden 2 , Cuad Cities 1 and 2,M111stonel, Peach Botton 3,Monticello, (c) Jim 3cott. (d) none yet. and Duane Arnold.

33.

The five reactors are Millstone 1, Pilg" inn, Monticello, Dresden, and Quad Cities. Applicant has the burden to show a th t his system will work.(b) Jim Scott (c) Hone yet

34. .

We have no such calculation, and don' t need one (b)"Ma .

nning' s roushness factor" is the n in the Manning formula for hydrauli c flor which is Velocity ecuals 1.49/n times (hydraulic radi us)2/3 times 31 ope of channel)1/2 (c) Over 35 psi (d) not done Ce)The exces

ressure will destroy the drynell so that the pressur e reduction from the surpression pool till not be achieved allowing th e pressures inside the containment to rapidally reach levels tuch in excess a of bove 1515 psis.

psi, (f)The containment will not crumble at small pressu res accidents .(g)but Jimwill Scottat the excessive pressures generated during (h) Hone.

33.

at Esnfo*(a)Uashington The szu.(E) A used.

should be SCRAM such as that used or in the

36. s m) Tests on Limiliar systems. (b) Jim Scott (c) Hone.

(b) The cables are arranged and composed of materials similiar to those that failed the (c) s s.te t Each cable must be seperated far enough from all other cables such that fires from one can't spread from cable to cable nor jump' from one cable to another. Also each cablereproo mustf.be fi An automatic redundant spray system of different desig n must be able to reach the full length of all cables.

(e) Jim Scott (f) None. ( d) I don ' t kno w. '

3erved on all. parties. L'/O.118 Secretary ana Chairman .iolfe. June 6,1973.<

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